Becky, What does this mean?

[Marlys]

I received this from Therapeutics Weekly and am wondering what the meaning is:

Research from University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Provide New Insights Into Breast Cancer Therapy
Cancer Weekly - Mar. 13, 2007
Researchers detail in "Lapatinib induces apoptosis in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer cells: effects on insulin-like growth factor I signaling," new data in breast cancer. According to a study from the United States, "The majority of breast cancer patients who achieve an initial therapeutic response to the HER2-targeted antibody trastuzumab will show disease progression within 1 year. Thus, the identification of novel agents that effectively inhibit survival of cancer cells that have progressed on trastuzumab is critical." <O"In the current study, we show that the dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/human EGFR-2 (HER2) kinase inhibitor lapatinib induces apoptosis in trastuzumab-resistant cells derived from the HER2-overexpressing SKBR3 breast cancer line. Lapatinib inhibited EGFR and HER2 signaling in resistant cells, blocking activation of downstream Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and S6 kinases and inducing expression of p27kip1. Importantly, lapatinib also inhibited insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) signaling and growth-promoting effects in parental and resistant cells, and the cytotoxic effects of lapatinib were further enhanced by the IGF-I receptor-blocking antibody alphaIR3," wrote R. Nahta and colleagues, University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. <OThe researchers concluded: "As increased IGF-I receptor signaling has been implicated in trastuzumab resistance, our data strongly support further study of lapatinib as a potential therapeutic in breast cancers that have progressed on trastuzumab."Nahta and colleagues published the results of their research in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (Lapatinib induces apoptosis in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer cells: effects on insulin-like growth factor I signaling. <O